Warning: If You Find These In Your Home, Go To A Doctor Immediately!

Triatomine bugs, known more commonly as “kissing bugs,” have been found in North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are as many as 300,000 Americans living with Chagas disease and approximately 8 million people living with the disease in Central and South America. You should be extremely careful.

Even though the bug looks harmless, it can carry a Trypanosoma cruzi parasite that causes Chagas disease. These bugs are typically found in the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and South America. Almost 8 million people are infected by this parasite, worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is not easy for this bug to give a human Chagas disease. The disease is transmitted through the bug’s feces. A person can only get Chagas disease from this deadly bug if the feces get rubbed into a bite wound or enter through an exposed body part such as the mouth or eyes. The species typically found in southern regions in the United States looks similar to the species that are common to Chagas disease.

This insect feeds on human blood much like a mosquito, but it is specific to biting the face of its victims. The bite from this deadly bug begins to itch and as the host scratches the bite introducing the pathogen. People who are bitten don’t normally feel sick, so they don’t seek medical care. But, it ends up causing heart disease in about 30% of those who are infected. Our native species are capable of carrying the Chagas Disease pathogen, but they don’t defecate as part of their feeding behavior therefore, the pathogen is not transmitted to humans. If you think you may have found one of the bugs you can bring the sample to your closest CDC office.

The CDC (The Center for Disease Control and Prevention) says these bugs can live in cracks and holes indoors and in outdoor spaces including:

Beneath porches

Between rocky structures

Under cement

In rock, wood, brush piles, or beneath bark

In rodent nests or animal burrows

In outdoor dog houses or kennels

In chicken coops or houses

To keep these bugs away from you home, the CDC (The Center for Disease Control and Prevention) suggests:

Sealing cracks and gaps around windows, walls, roofs, and doors

Removing wood, brush, and rock piles near your house

Using screens on doors and windows and repairing any holes or tears

If possible, making sure yard lights are not close to your house

Having pets sleep indoors, especially at night

Keeping your house and any outdoor pet resting areas clean

If you think you’ve found this dangerous bug, the CDC suggests that you should not touch or squash the bug. Place a container on top of the bug, slide the bug inside, and fill it with rubbing alcohol or, if not available, freeze the bug in the container. Then, you may take it to your local extension service, health department, or a university laboratory for species identification. You should be very careful. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to share this article with your friends and family.